Anemone plant named ‘Cinderella’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Anemone  plant named ‘Cinderella’, characterized by its upright and compact plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely flowering habit; single-type flowers that are light purple in color; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Anemone hupehensis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘CINDERELLA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Anemone,botanically known as Anemone hupehensis and hereinafter referred to bythe name ‘Cinderella’.

The new Anemone plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Yamatsuri-machi, Fukushima-ken, Japan. Theobjective of the breeding program is to create new compact Anemoneplants with numerous attractive flowers.

The new Anemone plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in October, 1995 in Yamatsuri-machi, Fukushima-ken, Japan of anunnamed proprietary selection of Anemone hupehensis, not patented, asthe female, or seed, parent, with Anemone hupehensis ‘Diana’, notpatented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Anemone plant wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plantwithin the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlledgreenhouse environment in Yamatsuri-machi, Fukushima-ken, Japan inOctober, 1997.

Asexual reproduction of the new Anemone by root cuttings in a controlledenvironment in Yamatsuri-machi, Fukushima-ken, Japan since October, 1997has shown that the unique features of this new Anemone plant are stableand reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Anemone have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions and various cultural practices. The phenotypemay vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such astemperature and light intensity without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Cinderella’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Cinderella’ as a new and distinct Anemoneplant:

-   -   1. Upright and compact plant habit.    -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely flowering habit.    -   4. Single-type flowers that are light purple in color.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Anemone can be compared to plants of the female parentselection. Plants of the new Anemone differ primarily from plants of thefemale parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Anemone have stronger roots than plants of        the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Anemone are more freely flowering than        plants of the female parent selection have single type flowers.

Plants of the new Anemone can be compared to plants of the male parent,‘Diana’. Plants of the new Anemone differ primarily from plants of‘Diana’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Anemone are more compact than plants of        ‘Diana’.    -   2. Plants of the new Anemone and ‘Diana’ differ in flower color        as plants of ‘Diana’ have pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Anemone can be compared to plants of Anemonehupehensis ‘Pretty Lady Susan’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,331.In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Mijdrecht, The Netherlands,plants of the new Anemone and ‘Pretty Lady Susan’ differed primarily inthe following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Anemone were more compact than plants of        ‘Pretty Lady Susan’.    -   2. Plants of the new Anemone flowered later than plants of        ‘Pretty Lady Susan’.    -   3. Plants of the new Anemone and ‘Pretty Lady Susan’ differed in        flower color as plants of ‘Pretty Lady Susan’ had deep        pink-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Anemone plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Anemone plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of atypical plant of ‘Cinderella’ in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of atypical flower of ‘Cinderella’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown in 17-cm containers during the summerin an outdoor nursery in Mijdrecht, The Netherlands and under culturalpractices typical of commercial Anemone production. During theproduction of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 14° C. to 28° C.and night temperatures ranged from 6° C. to 16° C. Plants were fourmonths old when the photographs and description were taken. In thefollowing description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Anemone hupehensis ‘Cinderella’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Anemone hupehensis, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Anemone hupehensis ‘Diana’, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—In vitro propagation.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 15 days at            temperatures of 20° C. to 25° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 25 days at            temperatures of 15° C. to 20° C.        -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fleshy; white in            color.        -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; upright and            compact plant habit with leaves developing from basal            rosettes; about 13 basal rosettes developing per plant;            moderately vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 45.8 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 41.3 cm.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, compound with three leaflets per            leaf.        -   Length, leaves.—About 9.6 cm.        -   Width, leaves.—About 7.1 cm.        -   Length, leaflets.—About 7 cm.        -   Width, leaflets.—About 3.9 cm.        -   Shape, leaves.—Broadly ovate.        -   Shape, leaflets.—Ovate to broadly ovate.        -   Apex, leaflets.—Acute.        -   Base, leaflets.—Obtuse to hastate.        -   Margin, leaflets.—Bi-serrate.        -   Texture, leaflets, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Texture, leaflets, lower surface.—Sparsely pubescent along            veins.        -   Venation pattern, leaflets.—Palmate, laciniate.        -   Color.—Developing leaflets, upper surface: Close to between            143A and 144A. Developing leaflets, lower surface: Close to            148A to 148B. Fully expanded leaflets, upper surface: Close            to between N137A and 147A; venation, close to 144B. Fully            expanded leaflets, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation,            close to 146B to 146C.        -   Leaf petiole.—Length: About 13.1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and flowering habit.—Single-type            rose-like flowers arranged in simple and compound cymes;            freely flowering habit with seven flowers develop per            inflorescence and about 80 flowers developing per plant;            flowers face mostly upright to slightly outwardly.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Anemone begin            flowering about 10.5 months after planting and flower during            the late summer in The Netherlands.        -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about one week on            the plant; flowers not persistent.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 15.9 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 14.4 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 5.1 cm.        -   Flower length (depth).—About 1.3 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 9.5 mm.            Shape: Globular. Color: Close to 187B; stripes, close to            N155A; base strongly tinged with close to 145A and 149B.        -   Petals.—Absent.        -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five arranged in a single            whorl. Length: About 2.5 cm. Width: About 2.1 cm. Shape:            Broadly obovate to broadly elliptic. Apex: Obtuse or            emarginate. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper            surface: Glabrous, smooth, velvety. Texture, lower surface:            Densely pubescent. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close            to 76D flushed slightly with close to 146D; towards the            margins, close to 7B. When opening, lower surface: Close to            187B to 187C; towards the margins, close to 60C. Fully            opened, upper surface: Close to between 75B, 76B and 77C;            towards the base, close to 69D flushed with close to 145D;            color does not fade with development. Fully opened, lower            surface: Close to between 187D, 70A and 76A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 25.4 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Aspect: Mostly erect to 30° from vertical. Strength:            Moderately strong. Color: Close to 144A; towards the apex,            slightly tinged with close to N187A.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 7.8 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.            Aspect: Erect to about 35° from the peduncle axis. Strength:            Strong. Color: Close to 138A tinged with close to 201B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number per flower:            About 200. Filament length: About 7 mm. Filament color:            Close to 157D. Anther shape: Reniform. Anther length: About            1.5 mm. Anther color: Close to 15B. Amount of pollen:            Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 8C. Gynoecium: Pistil number            per flower: About 200. Pistil length: About 1 mm. Stigma            shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 144B. Style            length: About 0.5 mm. Style color: Close to 145A. Ovary            color: Close to 145A.        -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed on plants of the new Anemone.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Anemone have been observed to    have good garden performance, to tolerate high temperatures of about    35° C. and to be hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 4.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Anemone have not been    observed to be resistant to pests and pathogens common to Anemone    plants.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Anemone plant named ‘Cinderella’ asillustrated and described.